One of the common elements in Joyce`s art and Lacan`s analytic discourse seems to be their use of the number 4. As a Modernist, Joyce reacted against the narrative mode of Realism and became the father of a new paradigm in art, while Lacan reacted to ego-psychology in establishing a new paradigm of the unconscious. They both were determined to create new perspectives in order to cope with their environments, which were trapped in religious fascism and technology. A way out for Joyce and Lacan lay in grand plans of endeavor throughout their whole lives: Joyce wrote four works of fiction and Lacan created four rings. The four rings are: the Imaginary, the Symbolic, the Real, and the fourth knots so called ``Joyce`s Ego.`` This paper investigates the final works of Joyce and Lacan and relates them to the last season of the year, winter. Comparing the common features in the final works of two great minds, the paper suggests an ecological vision resulted in the revision of the number 4. Four is an enigmatic number, a symbol of death as well as rebirth, since it signifies the end of one year at the same time, the beginning of a new year. |